Cost of Living Comparison Between Basel and Meilen Cost of Living Comparison Between Basel and Meilen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,741 in Basel versus $3,550 in Meilen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,905 in Basel versus $5,422 in Meilen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,069 in Basel versus $7,295 in Meilen.

Living in Basel is roughly 5% more expensive than Meilen, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Basel 179% above, Meilen 165% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.45 CHF 24.09

$31.33 CHF 24.78

-2.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$152 CHF 121

$150 CHF 118

1.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.99 CHF 15.81

$18.66 CHF 14.76

7.13%

Cappuccino

$6.65 CHF 5.26

$6.19 CHF 4.90

7.43%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.68 CHF 4.50

$6.08 CHF 4.81

-6.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.23 CHF 4.14

$5.29 CHF 4.19

-1.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.58 CHF 7.57

$8.43 CHF 6.67

13.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.64 CHF 6.04

$7.45 CHF 5.89

2.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.21 CHF 1.75

$2.29 CHF 1.81

-3.49%

White Bread (500g)

$3.83 CHF 3.03

$3.28 CHF 2.60

16.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.18 CHF 4.10

$4.12 CHF 3.26

25.73%

Eggs

$8.09 CHF 6.40

$7.52 CHF 5.95

7.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$28.36 CHF 22.43

$29.67 CHF 23.47

-4.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$37.13 CHF 29.37

$33.85 CHF 26.77

9.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$44.06 CHF 34.85

$50.4 CHF 39.86

-12.56%

Apples (1kg)

$3.81 CHF 3.02

$4.24 CHF 3.35

-10.14%

Banana (1kg)

$2.67 CHF 2.11

$2.52 CHF 1.99

5.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.15 CHF 3.29

$3.02 CHF 2.39

37.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.99 CHF 5.53

$5.22 CHF 4.13

33.91%

Potato (1kg)

$3.24 CHF 2.57

$2.50 CHF 1.98

29.60%

Onion (1kg)

$2.96 CHF 2.34

$2.29 CHF 1.81

29.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.53 CHF 2.00

$2.58 CHF 2.04

-1.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.57 CHF 1.24

$1.14 CHF 0.90

37.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.73 CHF 9.28

$10.99 CHF 8.69

6.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.10 CHF 11.94

$15.56 CHF 12.31

-2.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 CHF 1.86

$2.16 CHF 1.71

8.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.05 CHF 2.41

$2.27 CHF 1.80

34.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.55 CHF 3.60

$4.03 CHF 3.18

12.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$105 CHF 82.9

$98.2 CHF 77.7

6.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.96 CHF 6.29

$6.87 CHF 5.43

15.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.28 CHF 3.38

$4.14 CHF 3.28

3.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$85.8 CHF 67.8

$78.9 CHF 62.4

8.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.24 CHF 1.78

$2.24 CHF 1.77

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$39.6K CHF 31.3K

$41.0K CHF 32.4K

-3.36%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$44.8K CHF 35.4K

$39.5K CHF 31.3K

13.29%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$309 CHF 244

$255 CHF 201

21.41%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$53.1 CHF 42.03

$59.4 CHF 46.96

-10.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.4 CHF 47.79

$57.5 CHF 45.51

4.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$91.0 CHF 72.0

$88.9 CHF 70.3

2.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.48 CHF 33.60

$65.1 CHF 51.5

-34.79%

Cinema Ticket

$23.06 CHF 18.24

$27.58 CHF 21.82

-16.39%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$2,609 CHF 2,064

$2,847 CHF 2,252

-8.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.8K CHF 27.5K

$39.3K CHF 31.1K

-11.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$133 CHF 105

$142 CHF 112

-6.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$87.1 CHF 68.9

$62.5 CHF 49.46

39.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$174 CHF 138

$149 CHF 118

16.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$231 CHF 182

$200 CHF 159

15.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 CHF 1,682

$1,669 CHF 1,320

27.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,463 CHF 1,157

$1,442 CHF 1,141

1.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,757 CHF 2,971

$2,880 CHF 2,278

30.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,789 CHF 2,206

$2,497 CHF 1,975

11.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$17.9K CHF 14.2K

$14.3K CHF 11.3K

25.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$13.3K CHF 10.5K

$10.6K CHF 8,399

25.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,988 CHF 6,318

$8,496 CHF 6,720

-5.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.55

2.09

22.01%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Basel: April 27, 2026

Last update for Meilen: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,126 in Basel and $1,669 in Meilen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Meilen pays 6% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $152 in Basel vs $150 in Meilen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $696 vs $669 per month, with Meilen cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Basel vs Meilen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Meilen wins on cost – living expenses run 5% lower than in Basel. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Meilen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Meilen earns 6% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,126 in Basel versus $1,669 in Meilen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,609 in Basel versus $2,847 in Meilen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 4% higher in Basel. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Meilen is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both work as nomad bases, but Meilen delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $3,550 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Meilen hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Basel and Meilen are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Meilen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Basel. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.